Swansea 1 Tottenham 2: Spurs retake third

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS said he expected a reaction from his players after the home
defeat against Fulham and a reaction is what he got, particularly from
Gareth Bale. The Welshman not only created Tottenham’s first goal and scored
an exquisite second, he denied Swansea a certain equaliser in stoppage time
when he blocked Nathan Dyer’s goalbound effort.

Bale’s challenge secured what could prove to be a priceless victory for
Tottenham, who travelled to South Wales in fourth spot after two successive
Premier League defeats but return to north London having climbed above
Chelsea to third.

Yet it could have been so different. After a dominant first-half performance
capped by two wonderful goals, the first scored by Jan Vertonghen before
Bale’s strike, Tottenham froze in the second half, with nerves and
indecision replacing composure and authority. Another wretched weekend
beckoned for their Portuguese manager when Michu cut the deficit with less
than